Swipe
Swipes by Speedy .

Swipe, power move, rotation of the upper body supported by the legs followed by a rotation of the lower body supported by the arms.

History

The swipe is one of the oldest power moves, entering breaking in the mid-1970s. It was developed by Spy in 1976 , evolving from the two step . The Zulus1 were also known to do swipes around this time, according to BOM5 . Mr. Freeze recalls seeing swipes in 1979 . It is mentioned in the first news article on breaking in 1981 . Beat Street features both the one-leg and two-leg variations .

A dance move resembling swipes is performed in the 1942 "Soundie" Caravan .

Variations

Baby Swipe

See two step.

Elbow Swipe

Also forearm swipe. Swipe on the forearms.

Head Swipe

See track.

One-Hand Swipe

Also one-arm swipe. Swipe where only one arm touches the ground.

One-Leg Swipe

Swipe where only one leg touches the ground.

Top Swipe

Also up swipe. Swipe started from a standing position.

Two-Leg Swipe

Swipe where both legs touch the ground nearly simultaneously.

Footnotes

  1. Referring to the b-boys and b-girls in the nascent Zulu Nation, i.e. the Zulu Masters, Zulu Kings, Zulu Queens, Shaka Zulus, etc. .

References